“Every block of stone has a statue inside it, and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.  I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”         -Michelangelo

At first glance the statue of David overwhelms you. Standing 17 ft tall of the floor of the Accademia Gallery, makes you feel small. It is difficult to believe that a twenty-six-year-old painter and sculptor named Michelangelo would be able to create such a marvelous masterpiece.

Michelangelo’s creation derives from the biblical story of David and Goliath. His sculpture of David reveals the precise moment that the young shepherd is getting ready to begin his battle with the giant Goliath. First, he envisioned the figure of this young athlete within a huge block of marble and then proceeded with a mere chisel and hammer to extract it, freeing it.

DS: Christina, do you recall moments in your own life, when you felt entrapped? fearful? concealed inside a big block?

CR: Yes, Dimitri, I believe we have all have fearful moments in life. Fear is the mother of all emotions. It is born from ignorance of our true nature. We feel a separation which causes us to identify with our bodies and personalities. Then out of fear we try to create some illusion of security in the external world, via people, money, objects and professional and social positions etc. We have given many labels to the various expressions of fear such as insecurity, anxiety, uncomfortable, weakness, worry, inability, confusion, depression, denial, anger, hate, violence, jealously etc.

DS: I agree, fear is one of the biggest obstacles.

Each day we experience many types of fears and frightening images. Fear is an incredibly powerful force that acts against us, in everything we do, preventing us from truly experiencing life.

And make no mistake, there is no human that is unencumbered by fear. Those who are courageous have simply learned to manage their fear better than others.

CR: I believe that all our frightening images can be transformed into complete creations of our brave heart. Michelangelo’s statue of David, as he prepares his sling to attack Goliath can be seen as a symbol of faith, courage and willingness to stand up and fight for what is right. The choice is always ours and it is either the door to the room that leads to light and freedom or to the room that leads to darkness and entrapment. We can either hold in our hands the powerful sling of David and attack Goliath or we can continue to carry in our mind the pre-programmed experiences of fear.

DS: Christina, if we believe that a situation is permanent we are trapped into this dark room. However, we all have the gifts, talents and capacity to turn the invisible forms of beauty and creation into visible thus creating a magnificent spectrum of life. We can envision our powerful shelf, holding a chisel and a hammer chipping away fears, anxiety and doubt.  This allows us to reveal our spiritual wisdom and freedom.

CR: Great analogy my friend!

Studying David’s statue can help us tap into the depths of our ancestral wisdom that bring the qualities of simplicity, steadfastness and kindness.

It reminds us that life is simple and one of the greatest gifts is to live with serenity and harmony. Understanding how our mind works, how our mind self-sabotages us and activates certain behaviors and images is one of the most exciting opportunities in life we will ever have.  On the other side, is the emotional freedom and depth of joy that we were born to have. The process of facing our fears is going to lead us step-by-step into the greatest expression of our self.

…..Blessings, Dimitri

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